NEW YORK CITY — Creative production studio Taylor James (www.taylorjames.com) made three appointments going into the New Year. Luciano Tapia joined the studio as creative director, while Bill Mata and Fola Akinola expand the company’s CG team as CG leads.
Photo (above, L-R): Bill Mata and Fola Akinola
Tapia comes to Taylor James from MSNBC/NBC, where he was lead creative on the branding of the network, its shows and news events. Recently he led all the branding coverage of the 2020 Elections at NBC. He has also worked with clients that include Google, BMW, HBO, ESPN, Tiffany & Co, Sephora, Imaginary Forces, Loyal Kaspar and Interbrand.
Mata joins the team from Cincinnati, where he contributed animation to Marvel movies and Comcast campaigns alike. Inspired by the stunning visuals of video game animation as a kid, he pursued a career in simulation, design and motion graphics. He has worked with brands such as Edelman, Google, and Nike, to name a few.
Photo: Luciano Tapia
A CG lead artist and motion designer, Akinola transformed his childhood interest in computer graphics and animation into an established career in CG. He honed his skills at Ocupop, 1stAveMachine, Absolute Post and Bombastic Inc, and has over 12 years of experience. Some of his credits include work on campaigns for Google, Samsung, The Disney Channel, CBS, Nickelodeon and PBS. A portion of his career also saw him dedicate time to non-profit media company the Lost Bird Project, helping create campaigns highlighting environmental issues, where he expanded his expertise in web and graphic design, CG and VFX, and UX/UI.
“Taylor James has grown and evolved rapidly over 2021, and as we continue to push for growth in 2022, we’re thrilled to have talents like Luciano, Bill and Fola joining the team and helping us to do so,” says Jennifer Dee, VP, studio lead at Taylor James. “As the worlds of entertainment and advertising continue to converge, the insight of a creative director like Luciano will be a huge asset to our clients in commercials. At Taylor James we have always sought to provide the highest quality output for our clients, and Bill & Fola’s talents will help us continue to deliver craft at scale.”